CHAPTER 7 Going Online: The Net, Information Services, and More
Internet Domain Names to Use Asian Characters Until now, domain names have been limited to English characters, however this is changing, as names will be accepting Chinese, Japanese and Korean characters, too. Asian-Pacific countries comprise approximately 25 percent of the activity on the Internet. Opening up domain names to more familiar characters is expected to hasten the development of a truly global Internet. Plans are being made to include Arabic and other languages that do not use English characters at a later date. At present most of the world is unable to interact with the Internet in their native language. This will be changing rapidly over the next couple of years.
Online Voting The entire world is now acutely aware of the shortcomings of the voting apparatus used in the United States. The punch-card machines operate on the same principles as the punch-card machines developed by Herman Hollerith in 1890 for taking the national census. Most states and counties in the United States are debating whether or not they should continue to use antiquated voting equipment, given their inherent inaccuracies. As a consequence, many will be deciding whether to purchase more accurate tabulation equipment, an expensive proposition, or wait for online voting technology and procedures to be universally accepted and implemented. Certainly the Florida election concerns have helped to expedite the move to online voting. However, voter verification, privacy, and security issues are yet to be resolved. If online voting is to be implemented for the 2004 election, these issues will need to be addressed soon. Several politicians already have noted that going to online voting is inevitable, but it will happen on government time, not Internet time.
The Typical Internet User A recent Gartner report has concluded that the typical Internet user in United States is married, 41 years old, has 2.18 kids, makes $65,000 a year, and uses a PC at the office. The person can be either male or female, as both appear on the Internet in equal numbers.
College Crime Statistics The United States Congress (www.senate.gov) (www.house.gov) has implemented a law regarding the reporting of crime statistics by colleges. In the past these figures were downplayed and almost inaccessible to prospective students. Now, Congress has asked colleges to post detailed crime statistics to the Internet so that they are readily accessible and can be easily compared by prospective students. This is a great example of how important information can be made available to millions of people on a timely basis. It is interesting to note that the law demands the use of the Internet for information distribution.
Instant Messaging Now a Business Tool Until recently instant messaging was used widely, particularly on America Online, by the younger generation. Now, instant messaging has gone mainstream and has emerged as a valuable business tool. Instant messaging allows people on the Internet to send messages immediately to others on their private list. It turns out that instant messaging is great for virtual meetings between people located in remote areas. Instant messaging is even used by the military during maneuvers. Instant messaging in the business world has an application whenever people need immediate and quick communication with one another, especially if text documentation is desirable.